INVESTIGATIONS OF THE COMPOSITION CHANGES OF AN EVAPORATING, SINGLE BINARY-MIXTURE MICRODROPLET BY INELASTIC AND ELASTIC LIGHT-SCATTERING

Instantaneous concentration ratios of the constituents of a single eva porating optically levitated binary-mixture microdroplet are determine d by analysis of spontaneous Raman spectra and elastic (Mie) scatterin g intensities. The Raman signals from each component change at differe nt rates due to different evaporation rates of the components. The tim e-dependent Raman signals give precise information about the changes i n the microdroplet composition. The concentration ratios determined fr om the Raman spectra are cross-checked by analysis of the elastically scattered light. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.